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16/01/2008 10:34
Arthur Turner
It was only a matter of time before Australia's aggressive approach and sledging was going to create an international incident for the ICC and world cricket.
Australia have for years employed the strategy of naked aggression towards visiting teams who 'dare' visit their shores. Visiting teams are targeted by their media, their fans in the stadiums, on the field and by the general public.
Australia's obsession with winning and their egos are doing nothing to grow a small sport in global terms and for building good international relations. Also, they do not understand or respect the diversity of world cricket.
The Australians have replaced old fashioned chirping with sledging.
To my mind there is a big difference between chirping and Australian sledging.
Chirping is making colourful remarks at the opposition in the spirit of the game while sledging is a vicious attack on the opposition.
Not in the spirit
The Australians hunt like a pack of hyenas and mount aggressive verbal attacks on the opposition at every opportunity, especially when they are batting. This tactic is used to intimidate the opposition.
The Australians call this playing the game hard, but for me it is not in the spirit of the game.
Quite frankly, it is no more than bully tactics and relegates the game of cricket to the gutters. This is not the legacy that should be left for future generations by arguably the best team in the history of the game.
However, when opponents retaliate, Australia have proved over the years that they can't handle it. Further proof of this is the manner in which Ricky Ponting has reacted to the Harbhajan Singh/Andrew Symonds incident; it has been pathetic to say the least. All of a sudden Ponting has this big picture mentality. What a load of insincere rubbish!
Arrogant
Former Australian captains have warned Ponting that he is going down the wrong road by pursuing this matter, but Ponting has failed to heed this sound advice.
Ponting and the Australian team with their arrogant attitudes have undoubtedly taken world cricket to the brink. The ICC needs to step in and ban sledging from the game.
World cricket is too diversified to allow this uncouth strategy to continue any longer. It is damaging the image of the game and relations between the ICC's member countries.
Let the Australians continue sledging in their domestic cricket if they want to, but the ICC must rid the game of this gutter mentality and unfair play around the world.
The ICC needs to empower the match referee and umpires to remove players from the field who are guilty of abusive language or actions. They need to implement a yellow and red card system like in several other sports.
Controversy
Let teams play with 10 or nine players for a session or two - or the whole match - and you will see a massive improvement in attitudes, including from the Australians.
Historically cricket has been shrouded in far too many controversies, probably more than any other sporting code, starting with the Bodyline series in 1931/32 and most recently the SCG incident in 2008.
The ICC needs to take a firm stance and clean the game up at all levels as there are far too many personal agendas from cricket boards, administrators and players damaging the game.
The ICC needs to stamp its authority as the global controlling body of cricket and banning sledging will be a good start.
Arthur is a former cricket administrator.
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